Branding and Marketing for Real Estate Agents | Josh Marzucco

How do I build my Real Estate brand?

You might feel that you need to be an expert on all social platforms, and that you need to be all things to all people to be successful in business. However, when you choose to cast a wide net, you can’t go deep, and in Real Estate you have to go deep to win. Using the social media tactics outlined in this podcast, Josh Marzucco shares how he built almost his entire brokerage out of Naples, Florida up to over 400 agents. Let’s listen to someone with success!

Josh came to Real Estate from a background in the restaurant industry. He owned a sport’s bar with his dad in 2008, and on the side they were flipping houses. Per his dad’s persistent encouragement, he got licensed to help them with this side project and it took off. He built his businesses locally where he had invested heavily into relationships, and by 2017 he went off on his own with Marzucco Real Estate. The company today consists of five offices and 400 agents in Florida. 

The key take away from owning a bar is this: people go to dining experiences and bars for community and to build relationships, and this understanding built the foundation of Josh’s Real Estate business and how he conducts his business on Social Media. The purpose of branding and marketing is to get into conversations with people and have confidence in building relationships. Branding done correctly will lead to conversations. 

For his agents, and for his clients looking to buy, sell and invest in Real Estate, Josh understands that business is built at the speed of trust. People are relying upon a relationship for their most important purchase, and this happens in conversations, not just static posts on social media. 

Principle 1: Choose one or two platforms to engage in conversations 

Josh is consistently present on Instagram and Facebook, and has hired a content company to place his content on TikTok and other platforms, but he has chosen to concentrate on two platforms where he can be in conversation with and post personal content. 

Principle 2: Post content that favors “personal” over “Real Estate” themes 

When it comes to what to post, consider three out of every four of your posts should be focused on who you are as a person, the person who serves your audience, and one of those four can be a Real Estate story. Imagine if your dentist posted on Social Media: “Another cavity filled!” “Another root canal done!” These are important accomplishments, but not very emotionally engaging for a consumer in passing, and is likely to be unfollowed or tuned out.

What if, instead, you allowed your life and Real Estate to really be intertwined and you demonstrated this? Josh used to post videos like that of his girls singing in the backseat on his way to a showing. He is in the world of Real Estate, and showing who he is as a family man. People want to relate! Their comments, messages and interactions are better not only for relationships, but for the Social Media algorithm. The reality is, even the three personal posts can be interwoven creatively with Real Estate without being devoid of humanity. 

Marketing that sticks is going to be in story form. 

Principle 3: How do I start from scratch so that I can be known as an expert Real Estate agent?

It is common for Real Estate agents to feel a lack of experience and momentum in the beginning, but the reality is every one of them starts by selling one property at a time, and the goal is to brand yourself as a busy, full-time Real Estate expert from the very start. If you wait to have momentum to share momentum, it may never come. 

How?!

1. Make it look like you’re selling every day. 
2. Never tell people that Real Estate is your part-time gig. 
3. On your social media outlet, show Real Estate proactivity every day. Consider sharing other agent’s listings, or driving a neighborhood and share a 10-15 second video to share as a prospective neighborhood for out-of-state buyers, leverage the fact that Real Estate is going on all around you whether it’s your listing yet or not. 

Every building and neighborhood you drive by is Real Estate that you can comment on and highlight to your audience. Before you know it, you’re the expert! 

Branding starts with who you are in your community, you are the walking billboard. Everywhere you go, you should be the one introducing yourself, becoming interested in others and making real connections in your community. You are well-connected and this makes you a good representation to your prospective buyers and sellers. Branding is telling a story about yourself, and you do this just by how you show up everywhere you go. Let us help you grow in this area intentionally!

If you are at networking events and on social media enough, you don’t need a nametag. People know you everywhere you go, and this happens by building your brand with intentionality by beginning with building you. 

All conversion happens in conversation. This is the end goal of your branding and marketing. Let us help you build a brand people know!